Trap-nest



D. E. COWGlLL.

TRAP NEST.

APPLICATION FILED MAR422,1921.

Patented Nov. 8, 1921.

INVENTOR C'OWGILL.

ATTORNEYS WITNESSES UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

TRAP-NEST.

Application filed March 22, 1921.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DAYID E. CowoILL, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Vest Newton, in the county of lVestmoreland and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved T rap-Nest, of which the following is a description.

My invention relates to a trap nest provided with a door adapted to be closed by the hen when entering the nest.

The general object of my invention is to provide a novel trap nest having distinctive features and advantages as will appear from the specific description following.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, it being understood that the drawing is merely illustrative of one example of the invention.

Figure l is a side elevation of a trap nest embodying my invention showing the door open;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section of the nest with the door closed;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the nest with the door open;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the front portion of the nest with the opening and closing means for the door rendered inoperative.

In carrying out my invention in accordance with the illustrated example the body of the trap nest is made of box-like form having a raised bottom 13 below which extend legs 14- atthe back and front. The nest body is rocliably mounted on a base 13 for which purpose in the illustrated example a transverse rock shaft let is secured to the bottom 11 of the body at the under side and turnablymounted in the side standards 15 on base 13. A nesting place 16 is provided at the rear end of the body and therefore rearward of the pivot 14.

The open front of the box is provided with a door 17 swingably mounted by suit able hinge means 18. By reason of the tilting of the body 10 rearwardly or forwardly the open front of thebox will assume a position inclined to the vertical and therefore with the rearward tilting of the body let the door will tend to close under its own gravity and it will tend to open under its own gravity with a forward tilting or tipping of the body.

A spring latch 19 is provided of any ap- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 8, 1921. Serial No. 454,422.

proved form on the door 17 adapted to engage a keeper 20 on the body 10 at the doorway. Thus, with the closing of the door if the latch 19 is free to act it will engage the keeper 20 and hold the door in the closed position until the hen is purposely released. In order to hold the latch 19 inoperative I provide a hook 22 on the door 17 adapted to be swung in engagement with the knob 21 of the latch bolt. lVith the latch held out of action the door will be closed by the weight of the hen on the nesting place rearward of the pivot 14 but when the hen, after laying, approaches the door, the body will be tilted in a forward direction and the door will swing open under its own weight.

In order to make. certain that the door will close with the rearward tilting of the body 10, I provide door-closing means which will act also as a door-opening means if the latch 19 is out of action. Said means in the illustrated example consists of an actuating element 23 on the pivot shaft 14. Said actuating element 23 is shown as a gear wheel but as only a small sector of the wheel acts, a sector will answer instead of a complete wheel. The active sector of the element 23 engages in the illustrated example with a cage pinion 24 on a stud shaft 25 on the base 13, said shaft having a lever 26 from which a connecting rod 27 extends to a d00r-closing lever 28 pivoted between its ends as at 29 on the body 10 near the front, said lever presenting a forward arm 28 which may extend freely through an eye 30 on the door 17 so that the lever may rock on its fulcrum and having a sliding engagement' with the door to close or open the latter with the rocking of the body 10 its pivot shaft 14 and actuating element 23. If the hinge pin 29 be removed the lever can be withdrawn from engagement with the eye 30 as in Fig. 4 leaving the door to close or open under its own gravity.

Adjacent to the nesting platform 16 I provide a depressed egg receiver 81 at the bottom of the body 10. Said depressed receiver and the bottom may, if desired, be made in a. single piece of any suitable material. A ramp or incline 32 leads to the bottom of the receiver 31 from the front or entrance 33 of said receiver for the eggs to roll down into the nest. In order that the eggs may roll to the receiver without shock and possible breakage, an apron 34 of flexible material is secured at its upper end as at 34* above the nesting platform 13 and rests freely on the to of the incline 32 so that the egg may disp ace the apron in rolling down to the platform and be caused to roll gently into the receiver 31. On the receiver 31 is an overhead board 35 or equivalent structure so that straw or similar material may be stuffed'into the receiver 31 beneath the top 35 thereby preventing eggs rolling from the nesting platform to the receiver, if it should be desired to convert the trap nest into a setting nest.

I would state in conclusion that while the illustrated example constitutes a practical embodiment of my invention, I do not limit myself strictly to the mechanical details herein illustrated, since manifestly the same can be considerably varied withoutdeparture from the spirit of the invention as defined inthe appended claims.

1. A trap nest rockably mounted between its ends to tilt forwardly or backwardly under the weight of a hen, a'swing door on saidnest, a lever fulcrumed on the nest and slidably engaging the door to impart a clos ing or opening movement thereto, and means operative by the rocking of the nest to impart sliding movement to said lever to close or open the door.

2. A trap nest rockably mounted between its ends and having a nesting place in the rear of the center of movement, a depressed egg receiver adjacent to said nesting place and having an entrance leading therefrom, an incline leading downwardly from the nesting place to the bottom of the receiver, and an apron on said incline beneath which an egg may roll.

DAVID E. GOWGILL. 

